Economic outlook Q3 2018: Slowing potential growth

Slowing potential growth

Real GDP growth has trended lower over the last 50 years, caused primarily by slowing labor force growth and productivity. Positive cyclical momentum caused growth to pick up in the second half of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018,
and optimism is high that the rest of 2018 will see a further boost from pro-growth policies. Yet the gravitational pull of structural headwinds is powerful, and over the long term we believe investors may need to prepare their
portfolios for a lower-for-longer growth environment.

Economic indicators

To gauge whether the recent state of positive growth data is cyclical or structural in nature, we are monitoring the following:

Risk of recession?

U.S. dollar

One oft-overlooked factor in the U.S. growth landscape is the relative strength of the U.S. dollar. A commonly watched measure of the dollar’s value is the ICE U.S. Dollar Index, which compares the dollar versus a weighted average
of other major global currencies, including the euro and the Japanese yen. All else equal, a strengthening dollar acts upon the economy much the same way rate hikes do, in part by slowing U.S. growth as our exports become less
competitive. Shifts in exchange rates can also have a major impact on the earnings of multinational U.S. companies and thus bear watching.

﻿﻿﻿

We will be watching: In 2017, U.S. multinational corporations reaped the benefits as the dollar
index plunged almost 10%. As a result, S&P 500 companies with relatively high foreign revenue exposure outperformed companies that have high domestic revenue exposure by 14.8% for the year.1 Most companies have currency
hedges in place, but they are designed to overcome short-term changes in exchange rates. If the dollar continues to strengthen – a realistic possibility given that interest rates in the U.S. continue to be attractive versus other
developed nations – companies that rely on domestic operations would be expected to outperform.

Risks to our view: We do not have a specific view on this subject. But the foreign exchange market remains one of the most volatile, and there are real risks to the economy if we see large swings in exchange rates.
Similarly, if severe dollar weakness that has dislocated from underlying macroeconomic fundamentals materializes, it bears closer analysis and could signal other issues at work.

Unemployment rate

The economy added over 2.3 million jobs in the past year, and this breakneck speed of employment gains pulled the unemployment rate down from 4.3% in May 2017 to 3.8% by May 2018.2 The challenges imposed by long-run
demographic trends have not changed, however, and the labor market could increasingly be a headwind for growth in more ways than one.

We will be watching: The monthly payroll report has been front and center of the economic landscape again in 2018. In particular, the unemployment rate has now moved well below the Fed’s long-run equilibrium estimate. As
the labor market continues to boom, the Fed has been forced to continuously revise down its unemployment rate projections; at its June meeting, the Fed projected the jobless rate to be 3.6% in 2018, down from 3.8% at the March meeting.
For the first time since the Department of Labor started tracking data in 2000, the number of total job openings is greater than the number of unemployed persons.2 Considering this, we will be watching to see whether the
economy can continue its pace of adding close to 200,000 jobs per month.3

Risks to our view: So far, the Fed has shown little concern about the tightening labor market and has continued its slow, cautious pace of rate hikes. However, it remains to be seen if the Fed will tolerate an unemployment
rate increasingly beyond its own estimate of equilibrium. An unemployment rate below 3.5% could shift the Fed rate hike cycle into a higher gear.

Business investment

Productivity growth has been trending downward since 20044 and is a significant contributing factor to today’s low-growth environment. There is a wide range of theories as to why productivity is in secular decline. Weak
business investment, which has underperformed during this expansion, is an obvious culprit holding back a productivity-related boost to potential output. Productivity growth would have to recover for several years to return to the 2.2%
trend seen from 1950–2000.5

We will be watching: Monthly durable goods orders and shipments data offer a timely indication of whether businesses are investing in capital equipment. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has cut the corporate tax rate from 35% to
21% and altered tax-exempt timing on depreciation to incentivize investment spending. This lineup of pro-business news has created a swell of anticipation that business spending will improve markedly.

Risks to our view: Uncertainty related to international trade agreements and potential tariffs has spiked, which could put investment plans on hold for companies with international supply chains and international revenue
flows.

Savings rate

Against a historically low-growth environment, consumers stand out as the engine of the U.S. economy. Consumption accounts for 69% of U.S. growth and is supporting most aggregate demand and revenue generation in the economy.6

We will be watching: The household savings rate shows savings as a share of personal disposable income. The current level is below that of the previous 1991–2001 expansion and is closing in on all-time lows seen in
2005. Consumers remain a vital, positive contributor to economic growth, but sluggish wage growth has caused consumers to finance spending by dipping into savings. Positives such as a tight labor market and solid equity market
performance have buoyed consumers for several years, but a more volatile market without significant wage gains could cause consumption to face headwinds going forward.

Risks to our view: Consumers may disregard the low savings rate and keep on spending, leveraging themselves back to levels seen before the Great Recession. This could create risks should interest rates rise significantly or
should the economy eventually slow again.

Risk of recession?

Slower growth should not be confused with a recession. There is a big difference between slower growth and no growth. The U.S. economy is experiencing positive growth momentum, and pro-growth policies are set to drive growth above
current levels in coming years. However, in the interest of education, investors can easily follow this indicator, which is a key ingredient of almost every academic model that attempts to predict recessions. The shape of the yield
curve, as represented by the spread (or difference) between the 2-year and 10-year Treasury rates, has been an important indicator of past recessions.

We will be watching: As can be seen in the above chart, yield curve inversion (when long-term interest rates are lower than short-term interest rates) is often seen as a signal of an impending recession. Even as the Fed has
consistently raised short-term rates, the longer end of the curve remains stubbornly range-bound. On June 27, the 2–10 Treasury spread hit 32﻿ bps, the narrowest it has been since 2007. We will continue to watch the shape of the
yield curve closely as it has a high correlation to impending economic stress.

Risks to our view: The risk of a recession could rise if the Fed sees inflation start to pick up and becomes more aggressive in its rate hike path. This scenario is generally described as a classic Fed “overshoot.”

Learn more

Declining long-run potential growth, contained inflation expectations, and low global yields have all put downward pressure on interest rates for years. Interest rates peaked in the high inflation days of the 1980s, and today’s lower
rates mean investors have fewer options to meet their income needs.

1 Indices used are the S&P 500 Focused Foreign Revenue TR Index and the S&P 500 Focused U.S. Revenue TR Index.
2 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, FS Investments.
3 Nonfarm payrolls have averaged 197,000 per month over the past year.
4 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, based on a 5-year moving average.
5 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
6 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, as of May 30, 2018.

This information is educational in nature and does not constitute a financial promotion, investment advice or an inducement or incitement to participate in any product,
offering or investment. FS Investments is not adopting, making a recommendation for or endorsing any investment strategy or particular security. All views, opinions and positions expressed herein are that of the author and do not
necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of FS Investments. All opinions are subject to change without notice, and you should always obtain current information and perform due diligence before participating in any investment.
FS Investments does not provide legal or tax advice and the information herein should not be considered legal or tax advice. Tax laws and regulations are complex and subject to change, which can materially impact any investment result.
FS Investments cannot guarantee that the information herein is accurate, complete, or timely. FS Investments makes no warranties with regard to such information or results obtained by its use, and disclaims any liability arising out of
your use of, or any tax position taken in reliance on, such information.

Any projections, forecasts and estimates contained herein are based upon certain assumptions that the author considers reasonable. Projections are necessarily
speculative in nature, and it can be expected that some or all of the assumptions underlying the projections will not materialize or will vary significantly from actual results. The inclusion of projections herein should not be regarded
as a representation or guarantee regarding the reliability, accuracy or completeness of the information contained herein, and neither FS Investments nor the author are under any obligation to update or keep current such
information.

All investing is subject to risk, including the possible loss of the money you invest.

An investment in any fund sponsored by FS Investments involves a high degree of risk and may be considered speculative. Investors are advised to consider the investment objectives, risks, and charges and expenses of the applicable fund carefully
before investing. For funds offering shares to new investors, the applicable fund’s prospectus contains this and other information. Investors may obtain a copy of the applicable fund’s prospectus free of charge at www.fsinvestments.com or by contacting FS Investments at 201 Rouse Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19112 or by phone at 877-628-8575. Investors should read and carefully consider all information
found in the applicable fund’s prospectus and other reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) before investing.

This is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities described herein. An offering is made only by a prospectus, which must be made available to you in connection with this offering. No offering is made to New York investors except by a prospectus filed with the Department of Law of the State of New York.

Individual investors and endowments may have different investment horizons, liquidity needs and risk tolerances. In addition, fees that may be incurred by an investor in any of the funds sponsored by FS Investments may be different than fees incurred by an endowment investing in similar assets as those in which the funds invest.